Master's degree: what is it and why do you need it? Is a master's degree a scientific degree or not in Russia? Bachelor's degree in Russia.

Over the past 15 years, the wind of change has swept away many stable concepts in the Russian expanses. Soviet higher education, so solid and understandable, gradually faded away and now a new system is being built with difficulty. We are gradually getting used to the new names: bachelor's and master's degrees.

A bit of history

For Russian students, it all started in 1996. A two-level training system was introduced in universities. The purpose of the innovation was to join the Bologna Process - a voluntary association of higher education systems in European countries, which by that time had been about two decades old.

The process of accession to European standards was formalized legally in 2003, when Russia signed the Bologna Declaration. And since the beginning of 2011, the two-level system has become the main one in Russian higher education.

In fairness, it must be said that students who entered before 2010 still have the opportunity to receive the degree of "graduate". This is an intermediate level between a bachelor's and a master's degree. But today the system of climbing the rock of science granite is as follows:

1. Bachelor;
2. Master.

What is the difference between bachelor and master

These two words, so unusual for our hearing, mean the degree of preparation of a university graduate. To understand the difference between a bachelor and a master, you need to know the goals of training at these two levels.

Undergraduate - Practitioner Training

After graduating from school, young people enter the bachelor's degree. This is the beginning of higher education. After studying for 2 years, each of them can receive a diploma of incomplete higher education. That is, a diploma is issued stating that you have mastered half of the first stage of higher professional education, the volume and content of which is indicated in the appendix to this diploma.

But almost no one stops there. Having continued your studies for 2 more training courses, and having passed the final certification, you receive a bachelor's degree. By this time, you are going through not only general education sciences, but also special disciplines and professional practice. This diploma is a certificate of full and completed higher professional education. You have the right to apply for positions whose qualification requirements include the need to have a higher education.

Master's degree - focus on scientific work

If you want to further conquer scientific heights or engage in teaching activities at universities, you need to enter the magistracy. A master's degree is necessary for students who want or have the opportunity to continue to engage in scientific activities or teach at a university.

But those who want to study further after 4 years of study at the university today, according to statistics, are approximately 25-30% of the total number of students. The explanation should be sought in the realities of our life. Not every student can afford to continue their studies.

The downside is that they prefer to take bachelors to work - more is not needed for office work. A person must be able to work with information, process documents, work in a team. In a word, to be a competent and executive employee of the company. And there is no need for special studies in scientific activity. That is why most students prefer to spend 4 courses to gain basic knowledge, some practical experience and then seriously pursue a career.

There are a few other things that keep me from going to graduate school:

• The need to retake entrance examinations. Even at your own university, you again find yourself as an applicant and on a par with applicants from other universities.
• It is even more difficult to enter free education in a master's program than when mastering the first stage. Approximately one-third of applicants pass the test. But for those who are passionate about enrolling, there is paid training.
• It can be considered a fact that the starting salary of masters is higher than that of bachelors. This is especially confirmed by foreign studies (for example, in the USA and Canada). More details can be found in another material: salary statistics for masters and bachelors.

Pros and cons of two-tier training

The new system of levels of higher education has not yet taken root in the expanses of the former USSR and causes many difficulties in understanding. For personnel officers, it is sometimes sometimes difficult to determine the degree of preparedness of a newly minted specialist. Moreover, both those and others write “higher education” when filling out the questionnaire. The older generation perceives the graduate of the first stage rather as a "drop-out". In addition, there are areas where a bachelor's degree is clearly not a winning moment: law, economics, high technology. The first stage is sometimes equated with a technical school (according to the personnel officers of the old school).

But there are also pluses. Large companies will quickly hire a graduate of the first stage. Especially those structures that have their own personnel training system. After all, it is easier to teach than to retrain. And it is much easier to finish teaching a person who has mastered the practice of teaching at a university - training for 4 years gives the skills of readiness for learning.

And his focus on practice is more than that of the master. After all, during the continuation of studies in the magistracy, an orientation is created more on scientific and theoretical activity than on practical.

If a student dreams of engaging in scientific activities, promoting scientific and technological progress in laboratories or subsequently teaching students, he cannot do without a master's degree.

But before entering to continue your studies, you need to find out if your university has a license to issue masters and its validity period. It is undesirable that the license ends in the year of your graduation from the master's program. Everything happens in life…

Currently, in the generally accepted system of Russian higher education, there is a division of graduates into bachelors, specialists and masters. It turns out that between these three academic titles there is a tangible difference. It lies primarily in the duration of training.

It is generally accepted that students study for exactly 5 years. This is true for professional graduates. For bachelors, the duration of study is only 4 years. The master must study at a higher educational institution for 6 years.

Not for every specialty there is a choice of the duration of study and, accordingly, the academic title. To find out which method of study you can choose for the specialty of interest at the selected university, you need to contact the dean's office. There you can find out for yourself all the questions of interest.

When entering an educational institution, a student is not obliged to immediately determine the duration of training and its focus. A final decision will need to be made at the end of the 4th course. It is at this time that a student can either graduate with a bachelor's degree, or continue to study at a university. If a student wants to study as a specialist, then he will have to study for another 1 year. If he wants to become a master, then within the walls of his native university he will have to spend another 2 years.

The quality and specificity of knowledge of bachelors, masters and specialists

A bachelor cannot be considered a person who has received a higher education. Most likely, the completion of a bachelor's degree will be equated to an incomplete higher education. Despite this, some students prefer to get a bachelor's degree and complete their studies there.

A specialist is a person with a completed higher education. He is in his specialty, but at the same time his knowledge is not enough to carry out scientific work. The duration of training for a specialist is shorter than for a master's, but the quality of knowledge is not worse. Such graduates are more adapted to work in production. The knowledge gained in the magistracy will be useful for further work in the field of science. As a rule, master's degree graduates go on to graduate school.

A master's degree is useful for admission to some foreign educational institutions. In accordance with the laws of a number of other states, only the completion of a master's degree is counted as higher education.

from lat. magister - chief; mentor, teacher) - the second, secondary (between bachelor and doctor of science) degree in most foreign countries in the system of multi-stage higher professional education, assigned to persons who graduated from a university or college with a bachelor's degree, after 1-2 years of study and public defense diploma or master's thesis.

Great Definition

Incomplete definition ↓

MASTER

from lat. magister - chief, head, teacher) 1. in ancient Rome, an official; later in Europe the head of some secular and ecclesiastical institutions; 2. An academic degree in a number of countries, an average between a bachelor and a doctor of science, is awarded to persons who have graduated from a university (or an equivalent educational institution), have a bachelor's degree, completed an additional course of study (1-2 years), passed special examinations and defended a master's degree dissertation. In Russia in the 19th-20th centuries. was the lowest academic degree, and with the introduction of state examinations - the first academic degree; gave the right to occupy the university department and to the rank of IX class. In Ros. federation since the early 1990s. began to be awarded as an intermediate degree between a bachelor's and a candidate of sciences. - the second academic degree (qualification degree, qualification), which is awarded based on the results of certification to persons who have the first academic degree (qualification, qualification) of a bachelor (or the qualification of a "graduated specialist") and who have successfully mastered the corresponding educational programs of higher professional education with a duration of study of at least two years (at least one year for a graduate), and entitles its holders to engage in certain professional (as a rule, research or scientific-pedagogical) activities or to enter graduate school. (Glossary of agreed terms and definitions in the field of education of the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States. - M., 2004.) - for obtaining the qualification (degree) "Master", the period for mastering the main educational programs is set - at least six years. (Stefanova N.L., Shubina N.L. Magistracy: word and deed. - St. Petersburg, 2002.)

Content

At the present time, young people have access to higher two-level education. Every student who in the future wants to become an excellent specialist in their chosen profile must clearly understand what bachelor's and master's programs are and how these degrees differ from each other. The difference between them is significant, each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Find out what are the features of these academic degrees.

What is a bachelor's degree

This is the first, basic stage of academic education. The conditions for accessing it are simple. You need to get a secondary, secondary special or vocational education. You can enter after graduating from the 11th grade of a school, a specialized college, a technical school, a college. There is a misconception that a bachelor's degree is an incomplete higher education. This is not true. A bachelor's degree is the first full-fledged stage of higher education, in the presence of which a person has the right to get a job in his specialty.

How many study

As a rule, the educational process lasts four years, although there are exceptions. A student receives an academic bachelor's degree after passing exams. It is worth noting that there are a number of specialties that even at the basic level cannot be mastered in 4 courses, especially in the medical and technical fields. Education at such faculties is divided into other stages that do not fit into the general concept of the European educational standard.

Undergraduate Program

The plan is focused on giving the student practical knowledge in their chosen specialty. There are practically no narrowly focused disciplines in the educational program. If they are included, then with a minimum number of hours, and give only basic knowledge. The bachelor's degree was originally conceived for the student to choose a narrow specialty and consciously continue his studies in it at the magistracy. In Russian practice, this stage has become relatively independent.

Bachelor's degree programs have recently been divided into two categories according to a number of characteristics and tasks assigned to students, although this innovation is not yet practiced everywhere. Types of the first stage of academic education:

1. Applied. For students who plan to get a job immediately after graduation. Practical training is underway. The form of study at the applied bachelor's degree is only full-time / full-time.
2. academic. Professional training of bachelors who plan to enroll in the future for a master's degree. The emphasis is on research work, many theoretical courses. You can study both full-time and part-time.

Bachelor in Russia

The program began to be introduced into the practice of our country after the signing of the Bologna Convention. The reform implies the gradual creation of a single educational space of the European standard. Higher education in all countries should be two-stage: undergraduate and graduate. Previously, students received a specialist diploma after studying for 5-6 years. Now this practice is gradually being abandoned, but so far the “specialist” level has not been completely abolished, because not all professions can be mastered in 4 years, even at the basic level.

What is a master's degree

This is the second stage of higher education, but in order to gain access to it, it is necessary to obtain the first. A person is considered a master after he completely completes the educational process. Bachelors and persons who received a specialty before the introduction of the Bologna system can enter the master's program free of charge. The course of subjects is chosen so that the student is maximally immersed in practical and scientific activities.

The programs are led by teachers of the highest qualification, doctors of sciences. From the very first semester, each student is assigned a mentor from among them. Under the guidance of a teacher, a person chooses the direction of scientific research and defends a master's thesis. Until the moment when the student defended his dissertation, he is a master's student. During the training, he receives pedagogical skills and at the end of the program he can work as a teacher.

Why do you need

Many people do not understand why attend lectures for some more time, if after a bachelor's degree you can immediately get a job. A master's degree is necessary for a person in order for him to have the right to occupy leadership positions. To get a job in a number of specialties, you also need to get a second stage of higher education. In addition, a master's degree can be completed in order to get an education not in the initially chosen one, but in another specialty.

What gives

Education is not easy, but it brings many benefits. After graduating from the master's program, you will receive the following opportunities:

1. You will be able to hold leadership positions, work in professions that require both levels of higher education.
2. Professional growth will be rapid even under conditions of high competition.
3. You will receive a lot of useful and in-depth theoretical knowledge and practical skills.
4. If you realize that you have chosen a specialization by mistake, then the master's program gives you the right to change it.
5. The scholarship and other social guarantees (a place in a hostel, etc.) will be extended for a certain number of years.
6. You will have an open road to graduate school and teaching.

Is it necessary to go to a master's program after a bachelor's degree?

This decision is made by each individual. It would be objectively unfair to argue that a bachelor's degree is an inferior education. However, before making a decision about whether to go to a master's program, consider the following opportunities that it provides to a university graduate:

• the diploma is recognized internationally;
• experience of working with foreign teachers;
• conducting research and development for PhD work;
• the equivalence of foreign scientific PhD qualifications.

How to apply for a master's degree

Obtaining the second stage of higher education is possible only after completing a bachelor's degree. It will be necessary to pass an oral comprehensive interdisciplinary exam in the field of study. Its content and procedure are determined by each university, so they differ everywhere. The results are evaluated on a 100-point scale in accordance with the requirements of the Bologna system. The training lasts two years. It is not necessary to act immediately, first you can work in your specialty for several years.

Who can apply

To submit documents, you must have a higher professional education. A bachelor's degree, a specialist's degree, a master's degree will do. Of the additional documents, you need an application, an identity card, a medical certificate and several photographs. To enter on a budgetary basis, you need to have either a bachelor's degree or a specialist obtained before the Bologna process. Master's education may not be connected with the direction of fundamental training chosen last time.

Master's degree in another specialty

In the process of obtaining higher education, you can change its direction. You can take any specialty, but practice shows that it is preferable to choose an adjacent one. However, if you are sure that you have the necessary knowledge to pass the entrance exam for a completely different profession, there are no obstacles. A master's degree after a bachelor's degree in another specialty is available at any Russian university and even outside the country.

Paid by the employer

The labor legislation lists compensations and guarantees for employees who combine professional activities with training. For example, master's programs in a number of specialties, especially narrow scientific ones, are financed by the employer, to whom the funds will be transferred by the state. If the admission is a personal initiative of the employee, then he will have paid training, the company can only provide leave at its own expense.

If the second scientific stage is necessary for an employee for career growth in a particular organization, they do not have the right to dismiss him. In this situation, two scenarios are possible:

1. The employer pays all expenses related to education. This is done if the company is very interested in the employee.
2. The company gives days of paid leave to attend preparatory courses, lectures, and pass exams.

What is the difference between a bachelor's degree and a master's degree

The difference between these levels of education is not only in the number of job opportunities. What is the difference between a bachelor's degree and a master's degree, which is better? A few examples:

1. Only a bachelor's degree can enter the master's program.
2. Only a student who has an academic master's degree has the right to study in graduate school.
3. Undergraduate studies last four years. Master's degree - two.
4. The second stage of higher education can be obtained not in the specialty that you acquired at the bachelor's degree.
5. Who is a bachelor? It is focused on labor activity, practical use of acquired knowledge. In the magistracy, they prepare for work in the research field.
6. The second stage of higher education is not available in all educational institutions.

Alternative systems

In addition to the considered option, in some places, as, for example, in Germany, there are not one, but two postgraduate levels of education. In Russia, although a course has been taken to bring the structure of higher education in line with the requirements of the Bologna Declaration, the system still remains mixed. Somewhere the European system is used (bachelor's and master's degrees), while in other educational institutions it is inherited from the Soviet Union, with the qualification of graduates. The system of postgraduate education instead of the "Doctor of Philosophy" includes two ranks:

• Candidate of Sciences - awarded according to the verdict of the Dissertation Council and approved by the Higher Attestation Commission;
• Doctor of Science - assigned by the Presidium of the Higher Attestation Commission of the Ministry of Education and Science of the country.

Moreover, in order to assign these ranks, it is first necessary to prepare and defend a dissertation for a doctoral or candidate degree. In countries with a single-stage postgraduate education, there is no analogue to our "doctor of science". Our "Ph.D." corresponds, for example, to "PhD" in the United States, or equivalent to that title in other countries.

Since 2016, accredited universities and research institutes have appeared in Russia, both metropolitan and regional, with the right to award academic degrees.

Master's degree

Under the magistracy is understood a separate form of education in higher educational institutions, which implies that students receive preliminary preparation for further research and teaching activities. A person with a master's degree should not only have a solid scientific knowledge and be able to use the methodology of conducting scientific research. He must also have a comprehensive understanding of the methods of obtaining and applying the information necessary for the area of ​​knowledge under study.

The master's degree is awarded after completing a two-year course of study. However, it is worth considering the need to first complete a course of study at a university with the assignment of the status of a bachelor (4 years) or a specialist (from 5 to 5.5 years). Already on the basis of the education received, you can count on passing the master's course. Moreover, if earlier it was permissible to study for a master's degree only on the basis of "one's own" institute, now the possibilities for those wishing to acquire a master's degree have expanded significantly.

Passing the master's program allows you to get significant research and teaching practice as part of the learning process, as well as significantly supplement and deepen the knowledge acquired in the course of study for a bachelor or specialist. In addition, the experience gained during the preparation of a master's thesis can be quite useful in subsequent training - postgraduate students, future candidates and doctors of science.

Status in Russia

As already mentioned, both systems of education are still present in the universities of our country, despite the fact that the system has been reformed since 2003. The following categories have been legally approved in Russia:

• higher professional, with the assignment of a bachelor's qualification to a successfully certified candidate (at least 4 years of study);
• higher professional, with the assignment of a successfully certified candidate with the qualification of a specialist (at least 5 years of study);
• higher professional, with the assignment of a successfully certified candidate a master's degree (at least 6 years of study).

Despite the presence in the legally approved structure of the titles "bachelor" and "master", which are considered academic degrees in the countries participating in the Bologna process, in Russia, from a legal point of view, they have nothing to do with such, although the name "degree" is present in the laws ( without the definition of "scientific"). In any case, until the recommendations of the Bologna Agreement are followed.